Good to You
by RadCherishIsEve
Summary: '...I think you'd be good to me, and I'd be so good to you.' Gale and Madge one-shots. Cover by SofiaCalista.
1. Lighten the Mood

**Hello there! I've been wanting to make a series of drabbles for Gale and Madge for quite some time and I've finally done it! The title (not the chapter title) is a song by Marianas Trench (featuring Jessica Lee). I do hope you enjoy!**

**Disclaimer:**** I don't own The Hunger Games**

**This chapter is dedicated to Belle (Belle453). Supposedly a Valentine's Day gift that would've been written last week but...hahaha, yeah... (*cough* school *cough*). And I know this kind of scene has been done countless of times but this has been in my mind for a very long time.**

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_**Lighten the Mood**_

"Go back to bed."

Madge frowns but continues to go down the stairs. "You should go back, too."

"I can't," he replies, sighing. He's been staring at the red flames that he put up about an hour ago. "It's cold," Gale tells her when he sees that she didn't bother to wear her robe. "You shouldn't be leaving the bed without a robe, Madge. You could get sick."

"Like you wouldn't," she counters. She sits beside him and stares at the fire as well. "Are you having dreams again?" When he doesn't reply, she turns to him and says, "Gale, you know all you have to do is talk to me. It's better to talk to someone about it—_someone who understands_, than to keep it all inside."

"It's diff—"

She cuts him off, "I don't believe it is."

"I killed Prim."

"I left my parents to die." She shifts uncomfortably on the couch. She's never been ready to tell what really happened that day. "The fire…we were ready to head out already…but I couldn't find stuffed toy, the one I've had since I was a baby. Dad was helping me look for it while Mom was with a nurse by the door waiting patiently."

Gale brings her to his arms and tucks her under his chin. He might have an idea to what comes next. "It wasn't your fault."

"When we heard the sirens, Dad brought me down and pushed me out the door," she continues. "I didn't even get to say goodbye to them." She begins to sob. "Dad, the nurse and I could have made it, but they knew that Mom wouldn't make it. Dad stayed with her. The nurse stayed because she didn't have a family anymore and we treated her like she was part of our family. I should've gone back inside."

"Don't—"

"And then I saw the stuff toy by the front garden, you know, near the shrubs...if we just went pass the runway a bit more before leaving, I wouldn't have had to beg to go back inside for a few more minutes."

"No, don't say that," Gale says. "Please don't."

Madge buries her head on Gale's chest and wraps her arms around him. "Then don't say it either. Don't blame yourself. Coin was ruthless. You didn't know that children were going to be out there, Gale. You just created something to help us be free. It's not your fault."

Gale doesn't reply, instead, he pulls her closer to him and lets his own tears fall.

After a few minutes, Madge suggests they go back to bed. "I know we both don't have work tomorrow but we deserve a comfortable bed." She places her hand on top of his. "Okay?"

He laces his fingers with hers and his other hands moves up to rub her cheek with his thumb. "You're still trembling," he tells her. "We can't just go to sleep."

She shakes her head. "Gale, it's late—"

But her fiancé is already standing and telling her to wait for him. "I'll be right back. Turn on the TV if you want. No more boring Capitol shows, right? Let's lighten up the mood, okay?"

Madge smiles and leans forward to get the remote control from the coffee table. She flips on the TV and looks for a channel that's showing a sitcom and she finds one in one of the very high channels. It's a really old one and she wonders what year it was shown. It was about a funny man wearing a suit with a teddy bear that he carries around all the time.

She hears Gale opening and closing the cupboards in the kitchen and she wonders what he's doing. "Do you need any help?" she asks.

"I got it!" he assures her. "Almost done."

Madge suddenly stands up and runs upstairs. She hears Gale calling her but she dismisses it. She goes back inside their room and grabs the blanket under their comforter. Rolling it, she runs back down and meets Gale's questioning face. "I got our blanket," she explains, "I have a feeling we'll be here for a while."

Gale smiles and leads her to their couch. "I made us hot cocoa. I put extra marshmallows on yours."

Madge gives him a kiss on the cheek before saying thank you.

The two sit beside each other and get comfortable under the blanket before grabbing the warm mugs. Madge counts the marshmallows and grins when she reaches fifteen.

"What's on?" Gale asks.

"An old sitcom."

"How old?"

"Probably very very _very_ old." Madge sips from her drinks and sighs. "Best hot cocoa ever." Gale looks at her and chuckles. She frowns. "What's so funny?"

"You've got," he continues to laugh, "something over here," he reaches forward and brushes his thumb over her philtrum. "A cocoa mustache."

Madge blushes and giggles. She continues watching the show and laughs at the antics. She also likes to hear Gale laughing, it's deep. "Are you feeling better?" she asks.

Gale kisses her temple and answers, "Yes. I am. Are you?"

She turns and kisses him. "Much better."

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**Does Panem have remote control televisions...?**

**Anyways, I do hope you enjoy! I have an idea for next chapter already so I hope to have that up soon. (But ugh, I should be updating The Hunters of District 12...).**


	2. Blending & Balancing Colors

**Disclaimer: ****I don't own The Hunger Games or Power Rangers or Super Sentai.**

**Another hello to all of you! This story was written because it's been years since a Power Rangers season caught my eye again (the last was Operation Overdrive). So when Megaforce started airing last year, I realized how much I missed it. Then I saw a three sentence fic by melika-elena (if I'm not mistaken) on Tumblr and it just fueled my inspiration.**

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_**Blending and Balancing Colors**_

Madge sighs as she watches one of her favorite pink rangers, Emma Goodall, transform into the Pink Lost Galaxy Ranger. "It's like two of my favorite characters in one."

Gale tries his best to look interested in the show that his girlfriend is making him watch. The bowl of popcorn on his lap is half empty (by him, Madge couldn't tear her eyes away from the TV screen) and his drink needs a refill but Madge wouldn't let him up unless she has to get up, too.

After a few minutes, Madge turns to him with a huge smile on her face. "Hey, Gale…"

Gale doesn't even think about his answer. When Madge asks what color she would be if they were Power Rangers, he blurts out, "Pink. That's who you'll be."

Madge giggles a little. "You really think so?"

He nods. "What color would I be?"

"Hm," she huffs. "This is kinda hard." She looks at him from head to toe. "I'm having a hard time choosing between green and blue."

He frowns. "Not red?"

"I'm sorry, no," Madge answers, giggling. "I mean, you're…ugh, how do I say this?" She thinks for a while. "I kinda see you as the blue ranger but I've always thought of you as the green ranger."

"Why?" he asks.

Madge blushes and rubs her fingers together. "Well, you know I've always wanted to be the pink ranger because pink is my favorite color…and I've always thought that green and pink blended well together."

Gale smirks.

"I mean, I don't really like all the pink and green rangers together, out of all the seasons, there were only four green and pink rangers I wanted together—and that doesn't include Tommy and Kimberly," she explains. "But do you see how they blend together when you put them next to each other? Like—like…." She tries to think of the right words to say. "Um…"

Gale opens his mouth to speak but Madge stands up and looks for something in his desk. "What are you looking for?"

"Don't you have any green or pink colored pencils?" she asks. "You're an engineer!"

"I don't use green and pink," he replies, "I use darker ones, you know that."

She rolls her eyes and marches back to the couch. Her purse is on the single couch and she rummages through it before holding up the two colored pencils she'd been looking for. "And as a teacher, you should always be prepared." Madge sits back down beside Gale and shows the two pencils. "See? They look good together."

"Do they balance each other?" he asks, eyeing the pencils.

She shrugs as she puts the pencils on the coffee table in front of them. "I guess so. I personally like dark green and light or baby pink. Why?"

"Well, if you're going to be the pink ranger and I'm going to be the green ranger," he kisses her, "I think the colors should balance each other, not just blend well because of how they look." He leans his forehead on hers. "Don't you think?"

Madge cups his face and pulls his face closer to her. "Why don't we try and see?"

"First, you have to answer these questions," he says. "If you and I are the green and pink rangers, who would be the red, blue, yellow, black, white and sixth ranger?"

She laughs. "Okay, first of all, it' s very rare for there to be a black ranger when there's a green one, it only happened once so let's not think of that. Second, the white rangers are also kinda rare, they're also usually the sixth ranger, or in the Wild Force season, a counterpart for pink. Red would be Katniss because she'd seem like a good leader—you know, strategies. You and Peeta tie blue and green, Annie would be yellow because she gives us a sense of warmth, and Finnick would be the sixth ranger because he's cool."

"That's your reason for Finnick?" Gale raises his eyebrows. "Because he's cool?"

Madge shrugs. "Yeah, why not?"

"And you'd choose my best friend as the red ranger?" he continues. "But—"

"There have been two female red rangers, one was evil and the other was only there for like five episodes or so. There have also been two female leaders, one, a white ranger in a team filled with boys and another who was a pink ranger. So overall, there have been four female leaders and I believe Katniss can be the red ranger and a leader."

"And me and Dough-boy are tied?" he whines.

"Don't even start—"

"And Annie—"

"Oh, Gale," she stops him, "let's just remember that pink and green rangers of Panem blend and balance, okay?"

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**And there it is! I liked writing 'Lighten the Mood' more but I'm okay with this, too. I really just had to let this out. Any thoughts? I just asked my grandpa about the engineering pens and I learned from class about extra materials and how they can be useful.**


	3. Ghost Hunting

**Disclaimer:**** I don't own The Hunger Games or Ghostbusters.**

**I found out that Harold Ramis passed away a few days ago. And Egon Spengler is my favorite Ghostbuster. This may be OOC so I'm sorry. Unbeta'd since I'm in school right now, haha. Sorry for the mistakes.**

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_**Ghost Hunting**_

Gale has been sulking in his chair for the past few hours. He couldn't think straight. Madge came over to his house once she heard the news from Winston Zeddemore. She has been patient, constantly looking at him every few minutes, sometimes asking if he needed anything, sometimes giving him a sympathetic sigh. He hasn't really moved since Ray Stantz phoned him and told him what had happened.

Dr. Egon Spengler had died last night. Gale's mentor, his hero, his idol. Sure, he was a bit of a cuckoo, especially with his experiments, and socially awkward but it didn't mean Gale didn't admire him for his determination and especially for the way he had been a father figure to him when his own father died.

When Madge feels that her job around the household is done, she sits beside her friend and pats his hand. "He's okay now."

"I know he is," he replies softly. It's the first thing he says the whole day. "But it's still hard to believe, you know?" He knows she knows. Her own mother died a few years ago, too. "I'm really gonna miss him, is all." And that's when his tears fall. "He taught me a lot. From experiments…to studies…to…"

"Ghost hunting," Madge finishes for him. Ghost hunting was how they met. She's the niece of Dr. Spengler's colleague, Peter Venkmen.

The two became quiet for a few minutes before Madge suggested that they go ghost hunting. "I'm not sure if it's supposed to keep your mind occupied or not. But I think it would be fun."

Gale looks at her before saying, "You want to go ghost hunting?"

"Yeah." She shrugs. "Do you wanna go? Right now? You have your equipment."

"Where's your equipment?" he asks.

"I know you have some spare somewhere, Dr. Spengler told you so. I can borrow it for a while, can't I?"

He thinks for a while. Ghost hunting will make him think about Egon again but that's what he loves to do, too. And he's with Madge. He always has fun with her. He grabs her hand and smiles. "Where, though?"

Egon wouldn't want him to cry over him. He can already hear what he's going to tell him. _'There are ghosts out there, boy. Don't stay cooped up in your home.'_

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**Short. Now I'm really sad that he won't be there (I think?) for Ghostbusters III. I really would have liked to see them.**


	4. Posy's Roommate

**Disclaimer:** **I don't own anything.**

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_**Jan., 2014: Roadtrip and/or ROOMMATE  
Posy's Roomate**_

"I hope you don't mind that the place is messy. Madge tries to fix things but she gave up after she realized that I can never be as organized her," Posy explains. "She's out right now so you don't have to worry about it."

They share a flat that's very simple. It's a one-bedroom, one-bathroom kind of flat. The one that's only meant for one person. But they both wanted to save up and they were lucky to find each other. The bed is big enough for the two of them.

There are billions of people in Panem, and even more considering the other countries. But out of all those people, his sister's roommate has to be Madge Undersee. He doesn't know if he should be happy or not. He doesn't deserve to see her again after what happened years ago. "It's fine," he replies. "I won't stay too long."

"What do you mean you won't stay too long?" Posy demands. "You have to! Who knows when I'll see you again! I'm sure Madge would love to see you again, too."

"That's not really a good idea, Pose." He shakes his head. "Um…maybe, we can have some tea…we can talk while having tea, and then I'll go."

"You're such in a hurry to go. I thought you said you didn't have work until the afternoon." She brings him to the kitchen and tells him to sit on one of the chairs. A few minutes later, she places a cup of tea in front of him. "You can stay longer than you have to. Sleep over, even, if you want. You can sleep on the couch, it's a pull-out."

Gale sips from his cup and tries to change the subject. "So tell me," he starts, "why District One? Everyone kept this from me."

"You know I've always liked jewelry," she replies. "But since we couldn't afford it, I always just stayed outside the jewelry shop in Twelve. A lot of my friends did, too. Even some ladies. And I thought that there should be cheap jewelry for those who couldn't afford it." She shrugs. "No one's as poor as we were before but I guess it just stuck."

Gale smiles. "So you want to design them?"

Posy nods. "If I can, I'll make my own store. I'll start in Twelve, of course. Madge loves the designs I've made. She gave me a tip, actually. Before I start my own business, I have to be an apprentice first, right? When I give ideas, I have to choose the simple ones first because they'll sell for a cheaper price. When I have enough money to start my own business, that's when I'll start selling the better ones. I can sell them for any price I want."

"I can help you with the store," he offers.

"Of course I'll go to you, duh," Posy says, laughing. "I need the best engineer there is."

After the two are done catching up and a comfortable silence falls upon them, Gale finally asks, "How's Madge?"

"She's doing good. She's a teacher, you know." He doesn't want to tell her that he sometimes keeps tabs on her. "She's a teacher in my school—well, in the kindergarten. But she's also getting her masters so I see her in campus sometimes. We walk home together on Wednesdays and Fridays."

"So is she staying late in school?"

"No," she shakes her head, "she's on a date. There's this computer science guy working for some company that she met while a parent-teacher conference. He's the uncle of one of the children. They've been going out for a few months." That, he didn't know. "I like him. I think he's good for her. He's very nice."

"What's his name?"

"Um…I think it's…it's a girl's name, I think…Blight, I think. He's from Three."

"I can tell," Gale mutters. "Are they…steady?"

"I don't think so," Posy answers. "Madge doesn't like him enough. I think there's someone else. She talks about this guy a lot. She never gave me his name but it sounds awfully a lot like you." She looks at him carefully. "Do you like, Madge?" Before he can answer, she continues, "You were quite rude to her before. All she wanted was to be your friend."

"I know." _And I regret being mean to her_, he thinks. _We could've been something._

There's a jingle of keys by the door and then it opens and closes and locks again. "Posy? Are you here?"

Gale regrets looking as if he just threw on whatever he found because he remembers that Madge came from a date. Sure enough, when she approaches the kitchen, she looks stunning. She's in a white, spaghetti strapped dress that reaches her knees, with a sweetheart cut. She's barefoot so she must have kicked her shoes by the door and maybe placed a jacket or something by the couch because it's cold. Her hair is down except for some strands on each side of her head, they're twisted and tied at the back.

"Hey," Posy greets, "I'm sorry I didn't get to tell you about my visitor."

Madge stops by the counter and stares at him. When she finally opens her mouth, all she says are, "Oh, hello, Gale."

"Madge."

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**So, this was fun. I'm pretty happy with it. I hope you're as happy as I am?**


	5. The Criminal Life

**Disclaimer:** **I don't own anything.**

**Kinda late. But not as late as January…I still hope you enjoy. The timeline is sort of like high school, maybe. And it might be OOC, sorry about that.**

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_**Feb., 2014: CRIME and/or DREAMS  
The Criminal Life**_

In the Undersee mansion, Madge is sprawled on her bed, smiling, while Gale is sitting at the edge, lecturing her.

"It's not a bad thing," Madge defends herself. "I mean, it's just a dream!"

"I know it is, Madge," Gale says, sighing, "but I know that sometimes, you want your dreams to turn into reality. And I'm scared that one day I'll see you on the news robbing a bank…or worse!"

"What could be worse about seeing me on the news, robbing a bank?" Madge raises an eyebrow. "You'll see my face and name, and the headline will say, 'Mayor's Daughter robs local bank', and when they interview me, they'll ask why I did it and I'll tell them, 'Oh, you know, just for fun. I'm a bit of a rebel, you know.' I think my dad can get me out."

Gale glares at her. "What's worse is seeing the word 'shot' or 'dead' in the headlines."

"Oh, Gale, you know I'm not that much of a rebel." Madge laughs. "If the Peacekeepers tell me to surrender then I will. I'll talk to Darius."

"You're not seeing my point, Madge. It's dangerous, especially with that stubborn head of yours. I don't even want you to think about it."

"Stubborn head?" Madge repeats. "Isn't that you?"

"Don't change the subject."

Madge sighs and sits up. "Gale, don't deny that it would be cool to live a life of crime. Like…like…Al Capone! Or even Manzonis!"

"They went into hiding, Madge."

"But, the children were amazing with their skills," Madge counters. "I'd love to have those skills. They were crazy!"

"Ask your father to get you lessons, I'm sure he'll say yes and you could afford it," Gale tells her, a bit of bitterness in his voice.

"But Belle and Warren learned without getting lessons! I want to learn on my own!"

Gale sighs and lies beside her. "Can't you dream about something else?" He's her best friend, they have been for a few years, but he has feelings for her and lying beside her always makes him happy. He likes to imagine that they're more than just friends.

"How about going around the world?"

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**So, this was kinda fun to write. Short but it gave me something for Feb., haha. I hope you enjoyed it! Tell me what you think, please?**


	6. Chocolate Kisses for Maddie and Posy

**Disclaimer:**** I only own the Hawthorne children and Liam. The rest, I don't.**

**This can be considered as another sneak peak of the future of The Hunters of District 12. So, this can also be a sequel to Hawthorne Surprises. This was supposed to be non-AU but it turned out to be. Also, I realized that I would have to change the ages of Gale, Madge, Katniss and Peeta in THoD12.**

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_**Mar., 2014: POSY and/or Bread  
Chocolate Kisses for Maddie and Posy**_

Maddie Hawthorne isn't happy. She's been tricked and she doesn't like it.

Her brothers Boone, Hayden, and twin Ryder, have been trying to comfort her all the way home from school but she's still pissed. When she sees her father inside, she immediately runs to him. "Daddy, you're home!"

"You're early, Dad," Boone says.

"Finished everything I had to do," Gale replies. He's still wearing his uniform, which means he probably just got home. "I want to spend some quality family time. So why don't you all go up and change, okay? We're going to the meadow. You're mother's preparing the basket in the kitchen." He then turns to his daughter and says, "And you can tell us why you're so grumpy."

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"And so, I asked for the kisses and he didn't give it to me!"

"Did he give you anything?" Madge asks as she fixes the pigtails of the blonde, little girl on her lap.

"He gave me kisses here," she points to her left cheek, "and here," she points to her other cheek. "So I told him, 'You promised to give me kisses! I want kisses! Go buy me kisses!'"

Gale, Boone and Hayden's jaws drop. "What!?" they shout.

"I told him that I wanted the kisses he promised me," she repeats, "but he didn't have any and he didn't buy from the con—con—convenes store." She turns to her twin brother and confirms with her brother, "Right, Ryder?"

Ryder simply nods and continues playing with their dogs, Hunter and Kendrix.

"I want my kisses!" Maddie whines.

"He kissed you where?" Hayden wants to believe that he had just misheard what his _baby sister_ had said.

Maddie puts her index fingers on each cheek. "He kissed me here and here. But I told him I want my kisses! He said those were the kisses he promised!"

"And what kind of kisses did you want, Maddie?" Boone clarifies.

"Chocolate kisses! The one Uncle Liam buys for Aunt Posy!" Maddie whines, "I want my kisses!"

Madge sighs. "All right, all right. Come on, let's go and get some kisses." She helps her daughter up then she stands. "Gale, we're going to the convenience store. Who wants to come with us?" Her eldest son immediately races his hand. "Let's go. Do any of you want anything from there?"

When Madge memorizes what they want, they start to go down the meadow and to the convenience store a few blocks away.

"Who kissed you, Posy?" Boone asks.

"Vincent Jones did. I don't like him." Maddie sticks her nose up and crosses her arms in front of her (or at least as folded as her arms can get her). "He tricks people!"

"Maddie, did you consider that maybe the kisses he was talking about were actual kisses and not chocolate kisses?" Madge says. "Maybe he really wasn't tricking you."

"Mom," Boone starts to protest, "don't give her any ideas!" He then turns to his younger sister and asks, "So what did you do after he didn't get you your kisses?"

"I pushed him," Maddie answers.

Madge gasps, "Maydeleine Posy!" while Boone snickers, "That's what he gets." And that earns him a glare from his mother.

When the trio returns to the meadow, Maddie's eyes lit up when she sees her favorite dark haired woman. "Aunt Posy!" she squeals and runs as fast as her legs could carry her. "You're here!"

"Surprise!" Posy grins and opens her arms to catch her niece. "How've you been, Maddie?" Boone reaches her, too, and she brings him into the hug. "I've missed you guys."

Madge sits beside her husband and hands him a loaf of cheese bread. "How'd Hayden and Ryder take the surprise?"

"Posy was sneaky," Gale responds. "And she brought them gifts from Twelve. So they were very happy."

The two watch Posy listening to her niece attentively, nodding and clarifying some parts. When Maddie stops talking, Posy begins to laugh loudly. Maddie frowns and demands to know what's so funny.

"Oh, Maddie," Posy begins when she's calmed down, "I experienced that, too."

"You did?" Maddie asks, wide-eyed. "What did you do?"

"I punched him," the dark-haired woman answers, shrugging. "I was older than you and I also grew up with three brothers," she eyes Gale for a second before returning to her niece, "but I got over it. He bought me chocolate kisses two years later."

"But that's so long!" Maddie exclaims, spreading her arms to a length. "It's a good thing Mommy bought me some."

Suddenly, a voice calls them and they all turn to see Liam H. Winchester waving at them. He has a bouquet of flowers with him on one hand and a package on his other hand, and surprisingly, he's not wearing his glasses. When he reaches them, he gives the boys a hug and Maddie a kiss on the cheek, even taking one flower from the bouquet and giving it to her. He then shakes Gale's hand and gives Madge a kiss on the cheek before giving Posy the bouquet. "Hi," he says.

Posy smiles. "Hi, stranger. You're stalking me, aren't you?"

"Not really," he answers, "heard you were coming to the district. Decided to give you a welcome."

"I thought you were too busy at work," she retorts, looking at the flowers. "That's why I didn't tell you I was visiting."

"You should have," Liam tells her, "I got you chocolate kisses. They're the ones with caramel in them." He holds up the package he has and gives it to her. "Thought you'd want some."

"Give it to Maddie," she instructs him, "she recently had an experience with kisses."

Liam's mouth drops and he crouches down to Maddie's level. "What happened?" And so Maddie tells him what happened. When she's done, he shakes his head. "Kids these days." He opens the pack and hands Maddie a few kisses. "I hope you don't mind my kisses."

Maddie giggles and shakes her head. "Of course not, Uncle Liam. I like you."

* * *

The Hawthorne children run around the meadow with the dogs while Gale, Madge, Posy and Liam talk.

"Maddie's got body guards all around her," Posy says.

"Just like you," Madge compares, giggling, "it still makes me wonder how you're actually dating someone."

"We're not dating," Posy defends.

"Yet," Liam adds.

Gale narrows his eyes. "Maddie's only seven! She's not supposed to be kissed by boys who are eight! I need to see who this Vincent Jones is."

Madge rolls her eyes. "Oh, please, Gale. It's not like they're going to end up together, just because that happened to Posy and Liam."

"I don't care what happened, they're still young! They're supposed to be studying shapes and colors!"

"Um…no," Posy shakes her head, "they're done with that."

Gale mutters, "Whatever." He watches Liam try to put his arm around his sister and clears his throat. "I can see you."

Posy sighs and leans toward her not-so-boyfriend, earning a glare from her older brother. "Why don't you focus on Maddie, Gale. She's your _daughter_."

He smiles at that word and looks back at the children. When Madge leans into him, he gives her a chocolate kiss. "That princess is lucky, she has three knights by her side."

Madge giggles and holds up a chocolate kiss. "That deserves a kiss." She unwraps the wrapper and pops it in her mouth. Before Gale could protest, she kisses his lips.

When they separate, Gale breaths, "That deserves a chocolate kiss."

* * *

**And there you go. It's the longest I've posted and I'm not sure what to feel about. I'm happy but at the same time, not really? I'm not so sure. :[ May I know your thoughts?**


	7. Runaway

**Disclaimer: ****I do not own The Hunger Games.**

**I know, the princess/peasant thing is very overused but it's the only idea that came into my head and since I feel like I haven't participated in a while even though I did last month, it was an OUAT/THG-Red Huntsman/Gadge edit, I haven't written anything.**

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_**Jun., 2014: MEDIEVAL and/or MODERN**_  
_**Runaway**_

_Medieval_

"Let's runaway," Madge says.

He wants to. God, he wants to. Gale can't even look at her in the eye. "We can't. You know that."

They're in the back garden of the palace. Gale's a skilled hunter, getting inside wasn't very difficult…and Madge gave him the schedules of the guards, that's a plus.

"Yes, I do know that. You'll protect me, won't you?"

"With all my life," he replies. "But I can't do it forever."

"We can try."

Gale glares at her. "Princess, you're betrothed to a prince who can take care of you…who can give you everything you need. A healthy family. A secure life. I can't…I still have younger siblings to take care of."

"We can bring them. We can—"

"You don't understand!" he exclaims. "You're the princess and I'm just a miner's son. A dead miner's son. I have to take care of my little brothers and sister. I can't let my mother do it all alone. I'm poor. I'm not worthy enough to marry you."

Madge reaches up to touch his shoulder but he steps back. "Yes you are. You're very worthy."

"Not in the eyes of your parents. Not in the eyes of everyone else."

Madge grips his arms. "Don't…we can live our own life."

"But you're used to this life!" He throws up his arms to explain his point. "You live this luxurious life…all your life…you've been living it even before you were born! The queen made sure that she'd have the best…so that you'd be a healthy baby. You live a life with no worry—and don't even start with the engagement. I'm sure your parents wouldn't make you marry some loser prince."

"I can live," she tells him. "I know I can."

He sighs. "Maybe you can…but let's not take the risk. Let's not runaway. I'm not sure if you can do it forever, Princess."

"Stop calling me that." Tears had already fallen.

"I can't let you give up this life just to be with me." He holds her and he has to stop his own tears. "Goodbye, Madge."

"Gale…I love you."

"I love you, too." He leans forward, kissing her forehead and then her lips. And he's out before she can even tell him goodbye.

* * *

_Modern_

"Gale…I love you."

"I love you, too."

Under the bright stars, Gale and Madge are lying on a hill, the grass is cool under them. Gale's hand is clutching hers. Her blonde hair is fanned around her face, a pink headband carefully placed at the top of her head. Gale finds a few small flowers by his side and hands it to Madge.

"Let's runaway," Madge says.

He wants to. God he wants to. He smiles. There are no hesitations this time. "Haven't you always wanted to go to New York?"

* * *

**If you're confused, it's like, reincarnation. :] I disappoint myself with the shortness. Though, I'd like to know your thoughts? :D**


	8. Always Worth a Shot

**Apologies for the long note!**

**Disclaimer: I do not, nor will I ever, own The Hunger Games or Inception. They belong to Suzanne Collins and Christopher Nolan respectively. If I did then there would be Inception 2 by now and Madge not being in the movies is a big no no. So characters and any familiar dialogues are not mine.**

**I'm just playing around with the story for a suuuuuuper duper late birthday gift for Belle453! I know it is way waaaaay past your birthday but here is a fic that has been in the works for a while (second year uni is to blame). I tried my best to not make it confusing and I think I achieved it? Haha.**

**Quick notes (for Belle, since I'm not sure if she's already seen Inception):  
1\. Mags represent Miles (The Father-in-Law), so Mags here is Peeta's mother.  
2\. Rue &amp; Darius (Everlark children) represent Phillipa and James, they are kind of the ones from THG since they have a special place in Katniss's heart, but I never intended it until after I re-read this.  
3\. Thom represents Yusuf (The Chemist).  
4\. Katniss represents Dom Cobb (The Extractor).  
5\. Johanna represents Robert Fischer, Jr. (The Mark).  
6\. Finnick represents Eames (The Forger).  
7\. Gale represents Arthur (The Point Man).  
8\. Madge represents Ariadne (The Architect).  
9\. Peeta represents Mal (The Shade), so yes...Peeta's dead (I'm sorry!).  
10\. Cressida (because I couldn't find the "perfect fit") represents Saito (The Tourist).**

**I'm sorry this is unbeta'd by anyone else but me, so all mistakes made are mine. I tried my best to make sure that everything's at least a rating of 4/5.**

* * *

_**Always Worth a Shot**_

After the inception on Johanna Mason, Katniss Everdeen-Mellark vowed to never go back to dream sharing and would rather spend time with her children in District 12. Due to the time that has been lost, guilt, and of course, love, she moved back to Panem and was reunited with her children. However, here she is in another warehouse in Paris looking at some paperwork while the rest of the team run around and do their own errands.

Thom is busy experimenting with his chemicals. Gale is, as usual, typing away on his laptop. Madge is drawing on her new sketchpad. And Finnick…well, he just walked in, looking as if he's king of the world.

"You're late," Gale says without looking up.

"I'm always late," Finnick says. "I thought you'd get used to that by now, darling. It just so happens that today, it isn't because of sleeping in."

"Your meaning of sleeping in is you setting your alarm clock at eleven in the morning, Mr. Odair. And don't bother telling us what happened, we are not interested in the happenings of last night…or this morning."

"Oh, you'll like this. Everyone will like this one," Finnick continues, "I was on a date with Johanna Mason."

Everyone stops and stares at the bronze-haired man. Katniss, who looks at him with wide, angry eyes asks, "You were on a date with what?"

"Not _what_, Mellark, _whom_. I was on a date with Johanna Mason," Finnick repeats. "It's really not bad."

"It hasn't even been five years!"

"Katniss, she has no clue about what happened. We only talked a little about why she wanted to break down her father's empire and I promise I didn't do anything stupid. I'm a forger, for Christ's sake, give me some more credit. Besides, we never set an ideal time period for dating our targets."

"That's because we never needed to and never planned on dating them, especially the old ones," Gale says through gritted teeth. "You are forever a dickhead."

"If I remember correctly I have never failed you, nor have I gotten you into trouble, unlike some people you've worked with," Finnick retorts.

Thom shrugs and returns to looking back at his chemicals. "Just as long as she doesn't become suspicious of you."

"She won't be. What? I doubt she'll suddenly say one day that she had a dream and we were there when she woke up from limbo? No."

Gale shakes his head. "Just make sure we don't get caught. It's been two years. I'd rather not have to go on the run for something successful that happened two years ago."

"The doubt that you have when it comes to me is hurtful, darling. Very, very hurtful. Why don't you ever treat me the way you treat Madge?"

The Point Man glares. His means of silencing his teammate only makes the Forger smirk. "Just get back to work." When everyone goes back to their jobs, Gale steals a glance at the woman on the other side of the warehouse.

* * *

Later that night, only Finnick, Gale and Madge are left in the warehouse. Katniss had left early, promising to call her children at a certain hour, while Thom had a date with his wife, Bristel. It's not an unfamiliar scenario; the three are always the ones who leave the warehouse late. Gale because, as Finnick puts it, "He's Gale Hawthorne, cold-blooded workaholic who can finish his job in two days without sleeping and still look perfect", Madge because of her inability to stop drawing and thinking of new ideas when she's in the zone and Finnick because he's a night owl.

"Oh, darling?"

"What is it, Finnick?"

"Are you ever going to ask Madge out?"

The Point Man looks up from his notes and levels his eyes with the Forger who had gone up from his own messy desk to sit on his perfectly organized mahogany desk. "We're co-workers, it's inappropriate." But he doesn't look back down, instead, he waits for him to speak again.

"And that kiss during our Mason job, you know, the one in the second level in that hotel where you oh-so-coincidentally placed her beside you wasn't inappropriate?"

"How did you know about that?" Gale glares at him.

"Maybe she told me. Of course she doesn't know that you put her beside you on purpose. And don't worry, I didn't tell her. I'd really like you to do the honors."

"What?" he sputters. "Why would she tell you?"

"For a man who always pays attention to the details, you really cannot see how close that lovely lady and I have become?"

Of course he has. He just doesn't want to admit that Finnick was able to become her best friend and not him. It's not his fault he's not good at socializing with girls he's interested. One-night stands don't count.

"And when you shared an oxygen tank? May I add that it was very chivalrous of you to let her use it before you did. Don't even get me started on all those other moments you had together, work or non-work related."

Gale returns to his work. "It's late, if you're not going to do your job then at least offer Madge a ride home."

"Why don't you do it?"

"I'm not yet done. Besides, I'm on lock-duty today."

Finnick says. "Gale, Gale, Gale. You lonesome man. You're lucky I'm a very nice person. I'll vouch for you. Take Madge home and I'll lock up the place. I even promise to come early tomorrow, even I don't want a group of extractors waiting outside a warehouse."

Gale's fingers pause from typing.

"Tempted...my offer won't last the whole night. I want to lie on my bed soon."

The Point Man sighs and stands from his seat. Opening a drawer, he takes out a set of keys and hands it to the man next to him. "Fine."

"Attaboy." Finnick grins.

Taking a deep breath, Gale begins to walk towards the Architect's work space. She's still too focused on her work and he hopes she won't say no. "Madge?"

She looks up at him. "Mm?"

"It's getting late," he tells her.

"Oh, really?" She checks her watch and chuckles. "I suppose it is. I should be heading home." Closing her sketch pad, she begins to stand and walk away. "Thanks for reminding me, Gale."

"Um...Madge?" He gulps.

"Yeah?" She looks back at him.

"I'll walk you home."

"No," she shakes her head, "it's all right. The streets are safe." She shrugs and begins to pack her stuff. "And I took your advice. I bought pepper spray and a pocket knife just this weekend."

"That's great. But I was just heading back to the hotel, too. I'd feel much better if I take you home." He pauses. "Or would you rather grab a ride with Finnick?"

Madge tucks a lock of her hair behind her ear. She smiles. "I'd rather walk home with you."

He can't help but smile. "Great. I'll let you fix your stuff."

"You have to fix yours, too, Gale!" Finnick shouts, making Madge laugh. "Unless you want me to do it for you!"

"Hell no," Gale mutters. "I'll see you in a bit." He nods and walks back to his desk, passing by a smirking Finnick.

"Told you it would work."

"I'm just walking her home."

Finnick shrugs. "Sure, call it that."

* * *

Their walk halfway to Madge's house is in silence. Neither of them are talkers, especially not Gale. But when he notices her wrap her scarf around her neck tighter, he offers his coat. "Are you cold?"

She shakes her head. "No, thank you. I just thought it was getting loose."

He nods. "It's the one Rue got you for Christmas."

Madge nods and fingers the item. "It's one of my favorites. This and the one you got me during our first job together."

Gale got her a silk, black scarf with some gold patterns. "Yeah, I see you wear it a lot." He chuckles. He can see her face redden.

"It goes with a lot of my clothes. I see you with the tie I got you," she teases.

This time, it's his turn to become red. Madge got him a black tie with red stripes. "It's also a favorite of mine. Black goes with a lot."

Years ago, Madge and her parents had come to stay in Paris when her Aunt Maysilee fell ill. Eventually, her parents moved back to Panem, but since she had wanted to finish her schooling, she stayed under the care of her Aunt Maysilee and her husband, Haymitch. Ultimately, she ended up in Ecole D'Architecture for post-graduate studies as the protégé of Mags Mellark, one of the greatest architects.

Two years ago, when Katniss Everdeen-Mellark was hired by Cressida Saito to perform an inception on Johanna Mason, Madge was hired to be their architect. Katniss was in trouble with the law in Panem. Everyone thought that she was the one who killed her husband, Peeta, when in fact, he committed suicide believing that he was still in a dream. Cressida is a powerful woman who could make sure that Katniss could go back to Panem and see her children without having any trouble. As much as Katniss would say that she has moved on, she still cannot get over the guilt. It had been her fault, indirectly, as to why her husband had gone mad.

Although it took some time, Madge had been the one to help her finally let go. She watched as Katniss freed herself from the memories of Peeta. Bits and pieces of the dream still haunt her.

_"You can't stay here to be with him!" Madge remembers telling Katniss._

_"I'm not," Katniss replied._

Madge sighs at the memory. "I sometimes have nightmares about Peeta."

Gale frowns. "I don't blame you, the only version you know of him is the one in Katniss's subconscious."

"I know you two were friends. Were you close?"

"In a way, I suppose." He shrugs. "He was a great guy. You two would've gotten along. You're both...soft, for a lack of better word."

"Hard to imagine," she says, rolling her eyes. The first time Madge encountered Peeta, he killed her. Second, he tried again to kill her. Third, he killed their mark, and in the process, almost would have gotten her killed in the real world. Fourth, she shot him...in front of Katniss.

She still remembers the hotel room. His melodic voice. _"Do you know what it's like to be a lover? To be half of a whole?" The way he circled around her. "I'll tell you a riddle. You're waiting for a train. A train that will take you far away. You know where you hope this train will take you, but you can't know for sure. But it doesn't matter."_

"Are you okay?" he asks, interrupting her thoughts.

She smiles. "I'm good. Why?"

He shakes his head. "You looked like you were in deep thought. Is there a problem?"

"No, everything's fine. I was just thinking about my encounters with Peeta."

"Oh. Well," he gestures towards the fancy building in the next block, "we're almost there." He can't deny that he wishes the walk would be longer.

Just a few years ago, when Madge started her post-grad studies, she decided she wanted to start living by herself. Thanks to her family's wealth, it wasn't hard to find a good apartment and get a good unit. It's a half hour drive from her Aunt Maysilee and Uncle Haymitch's. Although they didn't want to let go of their precious niece, Madge had told them that it was time for her to be independent and it was much closer to Ecole D'Architecture.

Gale likes this place for her. It's heavily guarded with great facilities. He's been inside a lot, too much that he's now a part of her "safe guests" list—unfortunately, Finnick is on the list, too. It's the perfect place to for a young woman like her with a dangerous job to live. And there's a five-star hotel he constantly stays in just a few blocks away.

"You don't have to come in so early tomorrow. You're almost done with your part, right?"

"I can finish them tomorrow," she smiles, "and thanks for reminding me, I planned to visit Aunt Maysilee in the morning."

"Do you want me to drive you?"

"Uncle Haymitch will be picking me up. But thank you, Gale." She stands on her toes just as Gale leans down. "Oh." She begins to blush. They both lean back but lean forward at the same time. He kisses her left cheek and her his right. "Um, thank you for bringing me home, Gale."

"Is this how you thank Finnick, too?" he teases.

She giggles and begins to go up the stairs. "See you tomorrow!" Opening the door, she turns back and says, "And for your information, that isn't how I thank Finnick."

Gale smiles as he watches the petite blonde walk down the hall. Getting the red, loaded dice from his vest pocket, he fingers it before rolling it on the building's staircase. "Three," he murmurs, "definitely not a dream."

Little does he know that upstairs in Madge's apartment, she grabs her own totem from her pants pocket and tips it over on the nearest table. The bishop falls with a soft thunk. Smiling, she pockets it again before heading to the kitchen.

* * *

"That's it?" Finnick asks. "That's all that happened while the two of you were alone last night?"

"Yes, that's it," Gale says as he shuffles through the papers around him, "nothing that your dirty imagination wants us to do."

Finnick groans. "Oh, Gale. Can't you see that I'm trying to help you out?"

Thom laughs from the other side of the room. "Gale and romance don't work well."

Smirking, Finnick says, "You underestimate him, Thom. He's great at romancing. How do you think he's gotten women during lonely nights? What doesn't work well with him is long-time relationships."

"You're making Gale seem like a boring workaholic." Katniss appears with a bunch of folders and her totem on the other hand.

"But he is boring a workaholic," Finnick retorts. "He kissed Madge's cheek last night. A kiss on the cheek. That's all he got."

A sly smile appears in Katniss's face. "Maybe next time you should bring her home to your place."

Both Finnick and Thom burst into laughter. Gale glares at them before reaching for the PASIV and heading to the back of the room. "Call me back when you're all ready to shut up," he snaps. Muttering under his breath, he groans when he realizes that his schedule is now ruined.

"Are you going to dream of her now?" Finnick calls after him, teasing.

"None of your damn business!"

Katniss, though chuckling a little, scolds the bronze-haired forger. "Leave him alone, Finnick. You know fixing the PASIV is his way of relaxing."

"Are you sure it doesn't have anything to do with Madge and a sock?" Finnick snickers.

Gale walks faster, not wanting to hear anything else, but he isn't fast enough to cover his ears from Thom's roaring laughter. "I don't even use socks," he mumbles. As he sits on a stool and places the silver case on the table, he receives a text message from Madge.

'_Will be a bit late, traffic. Do you guys need me to get anything?'_

Not wanting to go back to the wretched place, he simply tells her to have a safe trip and that they still have all the supplies they need. "Please hurry, they won't be assholes when you're here," he mutters.

* * *

"What is it, Uncle Haymitch?" Madge asks for the third time.

"Nothing. Nothing. Why do you keep asking?" he demands, tapping his fingers on the steering wheel. "I'm not doing anything."

"You've been looking at me. You've been looking at me the whole morning. Is anything the matter?"

"No, no. Not with me, sweetheart. But is anything the matter with _you_?"

She looks at him. "What?"

"Is there anything the matter with you?" Haymitch repeats. "And don't deny it, even Maysilee can see it. I'm not delusional and neither is she. So spill, Ms. Undersee. Are you in love?"

Madge's eyes widen. "What!?"

"Don't make me repeat it again, sweetheart. It doesn't sit well with me," he begins to squirm in his seat, "and for that, I think you should start living with us again. At least for a while."

"I'm not in love, Uncle Haymitch," she tells him.

"That's not what we're seeing," he replies. "You don't have to hide it, Madge." He groans. "This is why I told Maysilee to talk to you. I'm not good with this whole...confession thing."

"Uncle Haymitch, there is nothing to confess. I swear!"

He sighs. "Okay, okay. I'm not gonna force you."

Madge blushes and fingers her scarf. Facing down, she begins to say, "Well...there's Gale."

"Gale? Gale Hawthorne? That man you work with?"

"Yeah," she nods, "him. I mean, I've liked him for a while...for a long time, actually."

"And how long is that 'long time, actually', sweetheart?" Madge fumbles and tugs on her scarf. "How long is a 'long time, actually', Madge? And I don't like it when you tug on your scarf. It makes me nervous."

"Since we first worked together," she replies. Without waiting for him to ask, she continues, "Two years ago."

Haymitch grumbles. "It's been two years since you worked with them?"

"Uh, yeah." She shrugs. "My contract with Gale is pretty exclusive."

"What the hell does that mean? What? You know what? No. Don't answer. Talk to Maysilee about this. I can't handle it."

Madge nods her head and looks out the window, sighing. A smile creeps to her lips as she remembers what happened last night. She can't wait to see him again later.

* * *

"You're awfully late, love," Finnick says once she gets inside the warehouse. "Oh, where are my manners? Good afternoon to you, Madge."

Tossing her hair back, she smiles. "Good afternoon, Finnick. Didn't Gale tell you that I was visiting my aunt and uncle?"

Finnick shakes his head. "Tsk, tsk, already keeping secrets from us? You're in that stage? And here I thought that you tell me everything."

Thom chuckles. "Don't mind him, Madge."

"He should be tired already," Katniss pipes up from behind her, "he was the first one in today. Can you believe it?"

Madge shakes her head. "I can't." She walks to her work station and places her bags down. There's a knock by the doorframe and she looks up to see Gale giving her a small smile. "Hi," she greets, her heart thumping. "I'm sorry I'm a little late. We didn't expect it to be a busy time on the road."

"Don't worry about it," he answers, shaking his head, "I just wanted to know how your trip to your aunt and uncle was. Are they okay?"

"They're good, they're okay," she replies. "Aunt May had a bit of a sore throat but she's not relapsing, so she's good. And Uncle Haymitch is still attending his AA meetings, he really wants to change."

Gale nods. "That's nice." After a few seconds, he clears his throat. "I should probably get back to work," he says, placing his hands in his pockets. "I'm trying to check if the PASIV is still in good condition. Thom's making the new sedative, it's new, not too strong, but I wouldn't want anything to happen to you—us."

"Oh," she smiles, "that's quick. I think Finnick and I could go in already once everything's ready. "

"Great." He nods. "But how's Thom's level?"

"It's…done," she replies, taking out the blueprints and the model, "but I still need to tweak it a little. Thom really wants it to be a maze."

"I don't blame him," Gale smirks, "always having to run away from the victim's subconscious while we're all on another level."

"But you do that all the time," she praises, "and handle them really well."

Gale can feel his neck heat up. He's used to compliments, takes them in, really. But whenever it comes from Madge, he can't help but feel as if he's done something that no one else has done before or something he isn't used to. "Thanks." He looks behind him and then back at Madge, gesturing towards his work station. "I have to get back.

Madge nods. "Yeah. I'll just call if I have some questions." She smiles.

He smiles, "I'm always willing to help."

* * *

After the success of the job, the five have gone their separate ways. Their usual routine of three months has been put into effect. Madge had gone to back to Panem to pay her family a visit for two weeks.

Her mother had the flu and she took care of her. "Who do you go to when you're sick?" Madeleine asks worriedly as her daughter places the damp cloth on her forehead.

Madge smiles. "I call Aunt Maysilee, of course. And she and Uncle Haymitch rush to my side."

"That's great to know," Madeleine says. "Hayden and I have to visit Paris soon."

"I'm used to planes, Mom," the younger blonde argues. "And I like them. I like travelling. Takes my mind off some things." _And very helpful for surviving after a job_, she thinks. "Besides, you're always sick lately," she whispers, "you can't travel too often. Maybe next time, Aunt Maysilee and Uncle Haymitch would come with me."

Hayden, who had been standing on the other side of Madeleine, clears his throat. "We want to see how're you're doing in Paris, Madge. And we're slightly worried about you."

"Slightly?" she laughs. "And why's that?"

"Haymitch says that whenever you have a job, you seem very stressed and under pressure."

"We know it's normal," Madeleine adds, "but…"

Madge sighs. "I love my job, I love the people I work with. Yes, it can be very stressing but I really don't mind at all. And I'm not always stressed and under pressure. I suppose some jobs, yes. But the stressing part mostly comes after the job. For three months at least."

"Madge—"

"Why don't you visit in three months? During the Christmas holidays?" She calculates fast in her head. _By then it'll be a good five months after this job and the team knows better than to work together during the holidays._ _Katniss would love to spend it with Darius and Rue. Thom wouldn't miss it, of course, he has Bristel and his kids. If I tell Gale and Finnick about my plans, they wouldn't dare call me to do a job. Maybe I can even invite them over._ "That way, we can all spend Christmas and the new year together."

"And we can meet your co-workers!" Madeleine exclaims, as if reading her thoughts.

She plays dumb and raises an eyebrow. "What?"

"Maysilee told me all about them." Yes, she's told Aunt Maysilee and Uncle Haymitch about the team, not too detailed, of course. "I know two have families but the other two gentlemen. I heard you're quite close to them."

Madge gives her a small smile. "Yeah, if they're free, I might give them a call."

After an unexpected extended stay for another week, she traveled to Germany, to pay her best friend, Delly, a visit. "You didn't tell me you're coming!" the woman squeals. Delly has Panem blood but she had grown up in Paris. She and Madge met when they were still elementary students. After two years as a business student, she decided to move to Germany to become an art student, as art is her "true calling".

Madge shrugs. "You always surprise me when you come home." It's true. She had given Delly a spare key of her apartment and, sometimes, Madge would come home to see her best friend on the guest bed or on the couch. "I thought I should return the favor."

"And so you did."

The two forgot to sleep that night. Madge never gets jet lagged anymore; the two were busy catching up. Despite the constant e-mails and video calls, the two revisited some old memories and old stories. Delly wanted to know about one thing in particular though: Gale. Well, Madge and Gale, together.

"Please tell me you two are dating already!"

"We're not," Madge says with a blush. "What gave you that idea?"

"Um...all the stories you've told me? Flirting, casting glances at each other during work, buying you stuff for no reason at all? I'm pretty sure the tension is in that damn work place and everyone but you two can't handle it. Or maybe you two also can't but you're just afraid."

"That's exactly what Finnick would say," Madge mutters under her breath. "Nothing's happening between us, Del. We're still co-workers. Great friends."

"No benefits?"

"None!" Madge exclaims. And she changes the subject before her friend could ask some more. But deep down, even Madge is burning with curiosity. _What _is_ going on between me and Gale?_

* * *

"It is amazing to see you again, love."

Madge returns the hug that Finnick is giving her. "You, too, Finnick. How was the past three months for you?"

"Believe it or not, I didn't gamble...at all."

Her eyes widen. "At all?"

He shook his head. "To be honest it was because...well, I spent them with Johanna in an African cruise. I quite like spending my time with her."

"That wasn't on the news," Madge tells him. "Have the paparazzi stopped following her?"

"Private ship," Finnick shrugs, "maximum security."

"Of course." She laughs. They reach the coffee shop that they had planned on going to and Finnick pulls the seat for her before sitting down on his. "And how's her company doing?"

"Great. We were both talking about how she would be if she continued her father's legacy. I never slipped, not even once." He grins. "And she's doing really well as her own person. Her godfather, surprisingly, is with her all the way."

"Who knew Cressida's selfish reason helped her own rival grow."

"Don't forget to mention financial support," Finnick says with a chuckle. Madge laughs along.

The two didn't separate ways until a few hours later. Finnick promised to come by soon for a scheduled movie marathon. He insisted on bringing her home but she had to stop by some stores and he promised to meet up with Johanna. Before parting, however, he leans down and whispers, "Don't be surprised if a certain Point Man breaks in and enters your apartment."

She blushes. "Shut up, Finnick." She should've known better than to tell him her fantasies.

* * *

It's been a week since she had seen Finnick and she's already heard from the other team members that they are all right and taking a short break. Katniss sent Madge a photo of her with Mags, the kids, and her sister Prim. Thom does the same with his wife, Bristel, and children Zeke and Kaye. Madge is a little jealous. On the bright side, she and Gale have been exchanging e-mails these past few days and he had wanted to visit Paris soon.

'_Have a place to stay?' _She asked him.

'_I'll be booking a room in the usual hotel nearby.'_ He replied.

And immediately, without thinking about it, she typed. '_No, you can stay with me.'_ She clicked send before she can take it back. When he replied about bothering her, she had an answer ready. _'It won't be. Besides, I'm a little lonely. I mean, I think my apartment needs some color.'_

'_Invite Finnick. :-)' _And she knows that he'll be knocking on her door soon.

A day later, she found out that all her e-mails with the Point Man had been erased. This doesn't surprise her. It happens all the time. But she is surprised when Gale arrives in one of his immaculate three-piece, crisp suite, with his bags and bouquet of flowers and invites her out to dinner. "I think seeing each other after a few months calls for a nice dinner," he says.

So she rushes to the shower to get herself cleaned. She wears a white, strapless cocktail dress, heels and a scarf wrapped around her. She just can't live without the feel of one of her thin pieces of clothing. When she steps out, she blushes at Gale's smile.

"Pretty dress," he tells her.

"Well, if I'll be having dinner with a handsome colleague in Paris, I'd want to look good, right?"

"You won't be going on just a dinner. You'll be going on a date with me." He grins and her heart drops to her stomach. "Shall we?"

Gale rarely lets people in his life. It's even rarer for him to open up about both his past and present life. As far as Madge knows, only the team knows about him and his story.

He was poor. His father had died when he was just fourteen and he has three younger siblings, Rory, Vick, and Posy. He and his mother, Hazelle, both had to make ends meet. This included a lot of odd jobs. After graduating in a public high school, Gale had no plans of attending college and instead, tried his best to look for a steady and stable job that paid well. Unfortunately, no one would hire him because of credentials.

Things only became brighter when he met Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark. He was on a train ride, on the same cart as a man in a crisp suit. A young couple, who turned out to be Katniss and Peeta, asked if they could share. Without thinking about it, Gale agreed, the other man was too busy talking on the phone. After a few minutes, Peeta had offered him and the other man a piece of cake that he brought. Gale, thinking of his family, thanked him but didn't eat it. The other man ate it right away.

"Why don't you eat it right now?" Peeta asked.

"I think my brothers and sister would enjoy it more," Gale replied.

Sometime later, the other man had fallen asleep. Peeta rose to his feet and asked Gale, "We're going to do our job. How much do you need to not call authorities?"

So Gale became their watcher. Carefully listening to their instructions and following them. He knew that Katniss didn't trust him at first, especially with the way she was eyeing him.

This was Gale's first dose of dream sharing.

About half an hour later, Peeta announced that the job was a success and thanked Gale while giving him the money he promised. Before leaving, Gale stopped them with a statement that forever changed his life.

"I need to help raise my siblings. I need a lot of money. I need a job. And this might be the one."

Peeta nodded without a thought but Katniss was reluctant. "Come with us," he said. They got off the train and brought him to a diner where he ate the food they gave him eagerly.

"What we do is illegal," Peeta told him. "You're going to have to cut off all communications with your loved ones frequently."

"But surely, you can do pretty much anything. If you know what I mean."

Katniss nodded then. She still hadn't spoken a word to him. Peeta smiled. "But with consequences."

"If I have the money then I can protect my family."

"The chances are higher," Peeta corrected. "But yes."

"Then please teach me."

They did more than teach him. They enrolled him in a university Mags taught in. He graduated with the best awards and highest honors. All the while he was learning how to become a dream thief. Their cover was that, in exchange for funding his education, he would have to work for them. They needed a protégé. Eventually, he became their researcher. Peeta and Katniss realized that his skills allowed him to get into any system and get the information they needed, paired with an IQ that raised the roofs; he finally became The Point Man.

After his first job, he was able to pay off all the debts his family made. His second job was better. He bought a house for his mother and siblings. Not too extravagant but definitely better than what they used to live in. His third job allowed his siblings to go to a better school and his mother to get a decent, stable job. After a few more jobs of giving half his money to his family, his mother finally told him to stop and come home.

"We have enough money to live by for the rest of our lives," she had told him. "Come home, Gale."

But he was in too deep. Some dream sharers have heard of his name. And some aren't too fond of him. "It's better that you don't see me often, Ma. It means you're all safer." He sighed. "I promise I'll visit as soon as I can and when I can."

After Peeta's suicide, he hit a low. He stayed with his family during his whole grievance period. While there, he realized that he could just quit and live a normal life. He has savings all around the world. But Katniss called him. There was a job and she needed him. And he just couldn't turn away from his second family and the world of dreams. But Katniss noticed that gone was the fun-loving and innocent young protégé, and here was the no-nonsense and devoted Point Man.

Madge remembers that she had only learned of his past three months after the inception job. When she told Finnick he was surprised because it took him eight jobs together until Gale caved in. Thom found out just recently. And other people he'd worked with, despite how many jobs they've done together, will never know.

"I'm not even going to ask about how you're able to book an amazing table in an expensive and very hard to get in restaurant," she tells him after ordering their food.

Gale shrugs. "Just pull a few strings and give them an amount."

"You only do that when you're desperate, Gale," Madge scolds.

"Maybe I am desperate," he says, looking at her.

Madge takes in a few breaths before changing the subject. "How's your family?"

"They're doing really well. I watched Posy's dance recital, she was asking about you. Rory's going to high school soon. Vick's on a roll with getting all A's in his classes. Ma's even starting to date again. I've met him."

"Background check?" She smiles.

"Clean record. He's divorced and has a daughter around Vick's age. I like him." He clears his throat. "Madge, we're going to have to talk about something."

"Oh? What about?"

"What we are."

Madge blinks. "What do you mean?"

"I mean...I...the way we act towards one another. Finnick may say that I'm dense and have no emotions but that's obviously not true. I am not dense. And it's not just my ego; I know we have feelings for each other."

Madge's heart starts to beat faster by the millisecond. "Gale…"

"I'm not very good with confessions. So I'm just going to be straight up about this. I really do like you, Madge. I've fallen in love with you. We don't have to be so fast about this. And I'm willing to wait if I have to."

Madge smiles. "Did you plan this dinner so the comfort of people around you eases your tension?"

"I've got the number of the hotel ready, too, just in case." There's a small smirk playing by his lips.

She laughs. "You've already confirmed my feelings. I'd like to see where this takes us."

He nods and smiles. "Quick, give me a kiss."

"No one's looking at us. We don't need to distract them," she teases.

"Who said anything about a distraction?" He leans forward.

Madge leans towards him and their lips meet. _So much better than a dream._

Gale smiles once they separate. "It was definitely worth a shot. That train's got nothing on us. Tell me why?"

"Because we'll be together." Madge smiles back.

* * *

**I hate how I wrote Gale's confession. Fuck, confessions. I'm so bad at them.**

**Anyways, this is probably my longest one-shots...I know you all know this by now, but to make things clear, yes, the Inception movie here is canon, I just switched the characters.**

**Some other quick notes:  
1\. Added some Finnick/Johanna because I ship them in the movies and since they represent Eames and Robert, respectively, I just had to put in some representation of Eames/Robert because I LOVE ME SOME E/R (next favorite ship in Inception after Arthur/Ariadne).  
2\. Tried to squeeze in some Gale/Finnick and Madge/Finnick to represent my two BrOTPs (Arthur/Eames and Ariadne/Eames).  
3\. Despite Gale being the representation of Arthur, I didn't change Gale's background to fit my Arthur background.  
4\. I also took away the whole Gale/Katniss thing.  
5\. Delly is partly based on an OC of mine (Valeria Normandeau) who is the best friend of Ariadne in my fics.  
6\. Since I killed off Peeta I didn't kill off Prim.**

**I think that's it for now. I'm sorry for the excessive notes but I wanted to make sure Belle understood this since this is for her, first and foremost. But if anyone else is reading this, I do hope you leave some a review to tell me how this incorporation of my friend's OTP and my OTP in one story worked out! Thank you! :]**


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